The present invention relates to testing of information processing devices, and more particularly to an automatic test programming method for performing a testing process without human intervention during a mass production of information processing devices and an apparatus used for such testing.
In the process of manufacturing information processing devices such as work stations, a mass production testing line includes a plurality of testing steps or processes in an aging bath, so that an operator cannot intervene in the testing line. Moreover, in the respective steps in the aging bath, testing items must be changed by changing the environmental condition such as temperature, humidity, etc. To do so, a testing program is required to have a function of: automatically executing a prescribed test for each step on the unattended testing line; storing the testing results; and indicating the testing results after all of the tests have been completed.
In a conventional automatic testing or diagnosis method for computer systems as is disclosed in JP-A-62-247434, flags in an automatic running mode are arranged in a diagnosis program monitor to define the execution procedure of the program. The diagnosis program is thereby stored in an external storage and the diagnosis program monitor is automatically loaded in a main storage, so that a general diagnosis program can be automatically executed without any operation by operators. In this way, the conventional testing/diagnosis method is organized to be able to automatically execute the general diagnosis program. However, it does not deal with a plurality of testing steps, and besides, it could not change the contents of test in accordance with different steps. Moreover, it does not; perform the function of monitoring the repetition of power-on and off for the system to be tested, which is involved in advancing the steps on the testing line.
As understood from the above description, in the conventional test program, a "heat-run" test is carried out endlessly for unattended testing. This method, however, is premised on the condition that the system to be tested is in the power on state during the testing. Therefore, in cases where the testing process is subdivided so that the system to be tested is subjected to several load conditions by changing the testing environment, no consideration is given for providing an unattended test system including the power on-off involved in automatically advancing the steps in the testing line, and the power on-off for so-called "cold-start testing", which is a testing under a minimum installed state (non-energized state) of the system. As a result, the advancement of steps on the testing line could not be automatically carried out.